1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to synthetic objects that are stuffed with a material. More particularly, the invention relates to plush assemblies used in the fabrication of the synthetic stuffed object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stuffed synthetic products are used in several applications. One of these applications is stuffed toys. The stuffed products are fabricated using a plush, or carcass, that is stuffed with a compressible material. Oftentimes, the material is a fluffy, synthetic material so the plush feels soft and squeezable upon completing the assembly process. Examples of these stuffed products include, but are not limited to, teddy bears, stuffed animals, stuffed balls, blocks, baby rattles, squeak toys and the like, hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cstuffed toys.xe2x80x9d
When assembling the stuffed toys, consideration must be taken for how the stuffed toys are to be packaged, delivered, and displayed. In a store situation, the stuffed toys may be stored in a back room until they are needed for display on a shelf or in the storefront displays. In the situation where a fair or carnival is using the stuffed toys as prizes, storage is much more difficult to come by. Therefore, the plushes are usually transported to the carnivals empty. The plushes are filled or stuffed based on the forecasted need for the following period of time before the carnival must move to its next location. Therefore, there needs to be a simple and effective way of stuffing the stuffed animals and sealing the plushes at the location where the stuffed toys are to be distributed.
Further to this end, there is a new market for stuffed toys, namely stuffed animals, where the purchaser purchases a stuffed animal at a retail outlet and stuffs the stuffed animal allowing the purchaser to feel as though she had created the stuffed animal. As with the carnival situation, there is a need in the retail outlet to allow a purchaser of a stuffed animal, who is inexperienced at stuffing plushes, to easily stuff a plush and seal it to create a stuffed animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,196 discloses a method of closing a plush toy after stuffing. In this reference, an aperture is loosely closed with a stitch or cross-stitch. A stuffing tool is inserted into the empty plush through the loosely stitched aperture to fill the plush with filler material. Once the plush is full, the tool is removed and the loose stitch is pulled tight to close the aperture. Once tightened, the thread creating the stitch is tied and the purchaser has a stuffed plush ready for accessories. This method is deficient in that it is cumbersome to insert a tool into the loosely stitched aperture when filling the plush. In addition, preparing the plush with the loose stitch requires intensive man hours, increasing the cost of the stuffed toy.
A plush assembly is stuffed with filler material to form a stuffed product. The plush assembly includes a plush defining an exterior and an aperture for receiving the filler material therein. The aperture includes two longitudinal sides and extends between an open end and a closed end. A strip of hooks and hollows is fixedly secured to each of the longitudinal sides between the open and closed ends. A slide is movable along the strips of hooks and hollows to form a zipper. The slide moves between the open end and the closed end to engage and disengage the strips of hooks and hollows to open and close the aperture. The slide includes a lock to engage the strips of hooks and hollows to lock the slide in a position along the strips of hooks and hollows.